Newly manufactured vehicles, such as automobiles and trucks, have painted surfaces with controlled depth of color and excellent image reflection; a uniform high gloss finish. This is due in the main to the facilities available in the manufacturing plants which permit dipping of the entire surface to be painted, such as the body, into the paint and then prompt drying of the painted surface.
With the passage of time, the original luster and shine of the painted surface is lost due to weathering and many owners desire to have their vehicles refinished. In many instances refinishing is necessary because the vehicle has been involved in an accident and the repaired area must be painted to match the color of the undamaged area.
Whatever the reason, it has been found heretofore that repainting of the car does not result in a finish that has smooth, uniform, high gloss finish of factory painted vehicles. Of course, it is not feasible to employ factory conditions, such as dipping, so consequently, repainting is primarily accomplished by spraying the paint onto the vehicle.
Some of the problems encountered in refinishing are "orange peel", "mottling", and "dry spots." "Orange peel" is used to describe the uneven, wrinkled surface resembling the outer surface of an orange, that results when the paint dries too quickly and entraps solvents beneath the surface of the paint. "Mottling" describes the uneven appearance that results when using metallic paints and drying is not carried out properly. The metallic particles, instead of being substantially uniformly distributed, tend to clump together and give a spotted or mottled appearance. The term "dry spots" is descriptive of those areas which do not receive sufficient paint as it is being sprayed onto the vehicle surface. The finish is dull in appearance in these areas.
Efforts to improve the appearance of the vehicles have included the use of improved paints and presently for best results acrylic base enamels are used for repainting. Even with such improved paints, however, the results obtained are not entirely satisfactory as to depth of color and image reflection and orange peel, mottling, and dry spots still occur.
Also used to overcome the problems of refinishing are gas-fired ovens into which the repainted vehicle is placed in order to bake the paint dry. These ovens are not only costly in terms of initial purchase cost and operation, but, further, do not overcome the problems discussed above.